Star or snowflake bread is such a great showstopper loaf, can be filled with just about anything you like (sweet or savoury), and it’s much easier to make than it looks. This vegan star bread is made with spelt flour, maple syrup, and a cinnamon sugar filling. It’s soft and light but not too sweet, a bit like a cinnamon roll without any icing.

Every bread recipe on Occasionally Eggs is made with ancient grains, most often spelt flour. You can use all-purpose white flour if preferred (see the substitutions section below for guidance). For some more plant-based sweet bread recipes made with spelt, try these Swedish cardamom buns, vegan cinnamon rolls, or saffron buns.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Spelt flour: you’ll need light spelt flour, which might be labeled as sifted or white spelt. If you only have whole grain spelt you can sift it yourself through a fine mesh sieve. If using all-purpose flour, approximately double the kneading time.
• Milk: I always use oat milk. Any non-dairy milk will be fine. Homemade milk alternatives usually thicken when heated but a good whisk will sort that out.
• Yeast: pictured is fresh yeast, but dried yeast can always be used. I buy fresh as it comes in paper without any plastic packaging. If using instant yeast, it can be added with the flour and salt (skip the blooming step).
• Coconut oil: a good vegan butter can be subbed for coconut oil if you prefer. Choose one that’s sold in a block or stick form, not the spreadable type that comes in a tub.
• Sugar: use any sugar type you like. Cane, white, coconut, and so on.
• Maple syrup: I’m going to be realistic here – I almost always use honey for this recipe, and am only calling for maple syrup because sometimes people yell at me for using (local, organic, extremely sustainable) honey instead of imported maple syrup. You can use the same amount of honey if it’s part of your diet. It makes the loaf a bit sweeter but it’s not really noticeable.

Step by Step

Step 1: add the yeast to the warm milk and wait until it foams up.

Step 2: add the remaining ingredients and stir together.

Step 3: knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until soft and smooth.

Step 4: set aside to rise, covered, until doubled in temperature.

Step 5: divide the dough into four equal pieces.

Step 6: roll a ball into a circle and place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with oil and top with cinnamon sugar.

Step 7: repeat for a total of four layers of dough and three of filling. Cut into four triangles.

Step 8: cut each triangle into four, then twist the dough pieces away from each other in pairs.

Step 9: let the loaf rise for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats.

Step 10: bake until golden and cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

This has a slightly shorter second prove compared to most sweet bread recipes because it loses definition if proved too long once shaped. It’s usually just about the right timing to let it prove while the oven preheats.

Star bread shouldn’t be shaped and refrigerated overnight before baking. This works with sourdough but not yeast – it over-proves and loses its shape. See below for make-ahead instructions.

Don’t be tempted to add more filling to the layers. You’ll end up with a mess of oozing filling and an ugly star bread. Remember that it’s an enriched dough so the bread itself tastes nice too.

If you’d like a yeast-free version of this bread, you can try my sourdough star bread over at the Baked Collective. It’s not vegan, though, and while I always make it dairy-free, I’ve never tested it without eggs.

More Filling Ideas

• Sugar and spice, with other spices than cinnamon – think blends like apple pie spice.
• Chocolate spread (about a tablespoon for each layer, for any spread used).
• Peanut butter chocolate chip.
• Vegan pesto – I often make this with pesto to bring to gatherings with friends.
• Fruit jam, apple butter, or lemon curd. Make sure it’s thick and don’t use jelly.
• Garlic butter. I use vegan butter, garlic, and fresh chopped herbs, also about a tablespoon for each layer.
• Cheese, which I’ve never tried, but I think a cream cheese alternative with herbs would be nice, a bit like this Tarte Soleil but with less filling.

Storage and Make Ahead

Storage: keep in a sealed container for up to three days at room temperature (refrigerate if your home is very warm). It does dry out a bit over time and is best fresh.

Freezing: transfer the bread to an airtight container or wrap in two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months and thaw at room temperature before serving. I recommend refreshing in a warm oven before serving if the bread has been frozen. Spritz with a little bit of water and heat at 180°C (350°F) for about ten minutes.

Make Ahead: mix the dough and let it rise through the first prove. Don’t shape. Deflate the dough and cover tightly to refrigerate for up to three days. When ready to shape and bake, set the bowl on the counter for 30 minutes to warm up a bit, before deflating again and shaping as instructed. The dough can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months, then thawed in the refrigerator overnight. After thawing, follow the same steps outlined above.

Expert Tips

• Cut into four sections first: I highly recommend cutting four triangles, then each one in half, and then half again. You’ll have the most similarly-sized pieces this way without needing to bring out a ruler.
• Don’t worry about perfect circles: a rough circle for each layer is good enough, and you can stretch the rounds slightly to fit each other neatly. I’ve made this bread at least fifty times and believe me, it’s a waste of time to cut out perfect circles.
• Twist in the right direction: be sure to twist the pieces away from each other, and not toward each other. If twisted toward one another the ends stick out too much and burn very easily (if you’ve done it by mistake, don’t worry, it’ll still look nice. Cover the ends with a some foil to avoid burning).
• Choose a warm spot: for the initial rise, the dough should be placed in a warm, draft-free place like the interior of an oven with the light on. Don’t be tempted to speed up the process by putting it on a source of heat like a radiator – it will cause problems with the dough. Be patient.

More Vegan Bread Recipes

Spelt Pita Bread
Overnight Emmer Bread
Sourdough Rye Bread
Honey Oat Bread